16 June '25
Toulayna jumps to silver in LGCT St Tropez Grand Prix
© Longines Global Champions Tour
After the atmospheric stop in Cannes, the Longines Global Champions Tour descended on fashionable St. Tropez this weekend, where the sixth stage of the season was completed. Under a radiant evening sun, the LGCT Grand Prix was held on Saturday, traditionally the sporting highlight of the weekend. In a strong field of competitors, we once again saw a Z horse shine within the top three of the standings.
The best 40 combinations from the second round of the Global Champions League on Thursday appeared in the ring on Saturday evening on the French Riviera for this sixth LGCT Grand Prix of the season. French track builder Grégory Bodo and his team had once again laid out a beautiful course and of those forty combinations who took their chances, eight managed to qualify for the jump-off. One of those eight was American world number one Kent Farrington and his top 11-year-old mare Toulayna, a daughter of Toulon and Parco who was born as Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z to her Belgian breeder Jasper Doucé. Farrington and Toulayna, who have twice won the CSI4* Grand Prix of Ocala in recent months, came into the ring again as the penultimate combination and once again did not make a mistake. In doing so, they crossed the finish line in 42.74 seconds, which finally earned them a great2nd place.
But there were also two blue/yellow victories to note in St Tropez and one of them was provided by French rider Kevin Staut and the 9-year-old chestnut mare Vida Loca Z, a daughter of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Cornet Obolensky bred in Italy by Soc. Agricola A R.I. Edeldame. Staut and Vida Loca Z, also winners of the CSI4* Grand Prix in Cabourg earlier this month, triumphed in the 1.50m class on Friday evening, where their clear jump-off in 34.75 seconds put them over a quarter of a second ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.
That second Zangersheide victory came in the name of Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf and the 14-year-old mare Cancun Torel Z, a daughter of Cosinhus and Grannus bred in France by François-Xavier Guyard. Bettendorf and Cancun Torel Z had an immediate good start to their competition on Thursday, where they became the winners of the first round of the Global Champions League. In a 1.55m class against the clock, they crossed the finish line in 60.75 seconds, which also gave them over a quarter of a second ahead of the competition.
Also in this first round of the Global Champions League, Christian Ahlmann managed to finish in the top ten of the standings with the 10-year-old gelding Vivario Jl Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Heartbreaker from the breeding farm of Luc and Jules Leemans. Ahlmann and Vivario Jl Z crossed the finish line in 65.44 seconds after a clear round, which earned them 8th place in the individual standings.
On Friday, a 1.45m class took place alongside the 1.50m main class and in it Norwegian rider Ingrid Gjelsten jumped to a podium place with the 12-year-old grey gelding HH Zorro Z, a breeding product of Bart Veldeman who combined the blood of VDL Zirocco Blue N.O.P. combined that of Escudo I. In both the1st and2nd phases, Gjelsten and HH Zorro Z kept all the bars in the scoops and with this performance they secured 3rd place.
With two top 10 placings, it was also a successful weekend in St. Tropez for French rider Julien Anquetin and his also 12-year-old grey gelding Z Ice Cube Z, a son of Zacharov TN and Casco bred in the Netherlands by P.J. Amendt. Anquetin and Z Ice Cube Z achieved eighth place during that 1.45m class on Friday, while during the 1.45m class on Saturday they took 5th place in the standings.
CSI2* competition
The CSI5* competition undoubtedly attracted the most attention in St. Tropez over the past few days, but several Z-horses also managed to jump into the limelight within the CSI2* competition. During the opening day on Thursday, Italian rider Olimpia Bargagni and the 12-year-old grey mare Cassandra Z, a daughter of former world champion Cumano and Chellano Z, bred by Ruddy Bogaerts, immediately achieved a top 5 ranking. In the 1.40m class, Bargagni and Cassandra Z sped to the finish in 66.54 seconds, securing 4th place.
A day later, Belgian rider Ines van de Bosch also managed to finish 4th with her 8-year-old gelding Chacca Khaan Z, a son of Cornet Obolensky and Carano who was born and raised at the home of the van den Bosch - Dammen family. During the 1.45m qualifier for the CSI2* Grand Prix, van den Bosch and Chacca Khaan Z left all obstacles untouched and in the process managed to put a time of 66.82 seconds on the scoreboard.